Olympus TG-2 iHS

This is the second in a series of short underwater/rugged camera reviews on DPReview. We're testing the cameras concurrently, and once all six cameras have been reviewed, we'll publish a roundup of the class, comparing them directly.

Olympus, along with Pentax, is one of the pioneers of the underwater/rugged camera. Its first camera, the Stylus 720 SW, was introduced back in 2006, and the rest is history. Many, many generations of rugged cameras later, the Tough TG-1 iHS arrived, and it brought something new to the genre: a fast, F2.0-4.9 25-100mm (equivalent) zoom lens. This was a significant improvement over the slow lenses normally found on tough cameras. Two other notable features were support for conversion lenses, and limited manual exposure control.

The Tough TG-2 iHS, which arrived in early 2013, builds on the TG-1's already impressive feature set and is even more waterproof and rugged, with a better-than-average depth rating of 15 meters (50 feet). The other hallmark features, listed below, remain the same.

Specification Highlights

12.0 effective megapixel BSI-CMOS sensor

F2.0-4.9, 25-100mm lens (4X)

Sensor-shift image stabilization

Waterproof to 15m, shockproof from 2.1m, crushproof to 100 kg, freezeproof to -10C

3.0 inch OLED display with 610,000 dot resolution

Aperture priority mode

Built-in GPS with landmark tagging, compass, manometer, and logging

5 fps continuous shooting

1080/30p movie mode with stereo sound

'Tap Control' for (limited) camera control when wearing gloves

Support for fish-eye and telephoto conversion lenses

The highlight of the TG-2's specification is undoubtedly its relatively fast 25-100mm lens. At wide-angle, the maximum aperture is F2.0, which is at least a full stop faster than what you'll find on most other rugged cameras.

As we'd expect, at the telephoto end of the lens, the TG-2's maximum aperture is a slightly more pedestrian F4.9.

A 'fast' maximum aperture lets in more light, which allows you to keep the ISO sensitivity down, which in turn keeps noise levels low (at least in theory). The Canon D20, for example, offers a longer zoom than the TG-2, at 28-140mm, but it is considerably slower at its wide and middle focal lengths, offering a maximum aperture of F3.9-4.8. So in the same shooting conditions, at wide-angle, the TG-2 will be able to correctly expose shots using lower ISO settings than the D20, which means less noise and better image quality.

Another unique feature of the TG-2 is the ability to add conversion lenses. The camera supports both telephoto and fish-eye lenses. As you'd expect, both of these lenses are waterproof.

The conversion lens adapter that comes with these lenses (and can be purchased separately) also allows the use of 40.5mm filters.

The only other rugged camera on the market to support a conversion lens is the Pentax WG-3, which supports a wide-angle lens, but lacks filter support. There are plenty more interesting features on the TG-2, which we'll cover on the following page.

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Comments

I recently got a Sealife SL961 underwater digital pro strobe to try out with the TG-2, and it seems to be synching up all right. I found the manual wasn't particularly clear on what settings to chose though. What eventually worked for me was the following:1. TG-2 set-up menu --> accessory settings -->remote flash2. TG-2 flash option "fill in" 3. SL961 preflash setting "2"4. SL961 auto bright "1"

Hello,i want to buy this camera, but i'm a little concern about visibility of display in direct sunlight. Could you please tell me how bad is it? Is it only bad visibility and usable, or really not usable? I need to buy a cammera really quick, becouse of a trip, so if you can, please respond quick. Thank you very much!

This camera is full of lies, water easily can get inside this unit within in just 2 meters below the water, at first I thought that I just got a bad batch, but a month after a friend of mine with the same unit also experience the same thing, just a waste of money.

I have had this camera a year now and use it in my pool a lot! I have used it underwater to about 6 feet with no trouble at all. No leakage and the quality of the images is wonderful. Maybe someone forgot to lock the compartments before using it in the water?

Why do all you reviewers not tell the truth. That is, you cannot see the LCD screen when in sunlight. This simple truth that the reviewers are well aware of makes these rugged cameras a dismal failure. Spew out all the specs and image quality blah blah blah but ignore thw fact that not only does the user have to point and hope, they also can not change any settings because they cant read the screen in daylight. I own a brand new Olympus TG2 and it is unusable because of this

Let's see whether or not we 'told the truth' about this. Here are some direct quotes from the review talking about the screen:

"While the TG-2's OLED display looks beautiful indoors, outdoor performance was lacking. It's nearly impossible to use in bright light, even with brightness cranked to the maximum setting. It was also very difficult to use when snorkeling."

"What we don't like: •Display very difficult to see outdoors and underwater"

"This display looks great indoors, with 610k dots, vivid colors, and a wide viewing angle. However, once outdoors (or underwater), visibility is very poor, even with the brightness turned all the way up. Not exactly what you'd want on a camera made to be out in the elements."

Okay, you have got me right between the eyes, I apologise. I have read many many reviews from "respected" places.I think I lumped them all together. I honestly donot remember reading the above but I think my argument stands up.BUT NOT FOR YOU. After buying the camera, my young daughter went on a school overseas trip to New Zealand and came back utterly dissapointed.I believe it is so unusable these companies should be found in breach of some law because they are marketing a product that does not do what they advertise or imply.I also believe reviews should make this clear in the strongest possible manner.Once again I would like to apologise. I would ponder though how the camera recieved a Silver award.Thankyou for responding, you have won a supporter and my trust.I would still maintain this though. I, and my family cannot use this camera in sunny daylight. I will contend that reviews should state. "It is unusable in bright daylight" Donot buy it unless you try it first.

There are many people who agree about the total absurdity of relying on a screen (rather than a VF) to try to take pictures. But there seems to be no solution, as the manufacturers persist in making them. There are even interchangeable lens camera that lack VFs (many of the NEX series; many Olympus cameras, the Nikon 1AW1, etc.). I have had to pass on otherwise good cameras due to this "point and guess" feature.

One problem is that many users claim that they have no trouble seeing the screen, no matter what the conditions. They claim that it's a matter of good or bad eyesight. I personally think this is rubbish. But it's what we're stuck with.

I would love to see review sites begin by listing main features *lacking* in a camera being reviewed. Sort of an advance warning. My list would include VF, 60p video, RAW, burst of at least 5fps, burst depth sufficient for at least 4 seconds at whatever rate. Many reviewers act as if these features don't matter.

The TG2 was ok.I own one and I'm happy with the results.What your young daughter wanted was an Iphone that will make her look hip & cool, instead of a...camera.Remember the day when WHAT you needed was roller blades or a roller board instead of a...stupid bicycle?

papanatas seems to be a very appropriate handle. Why indulge in snarky mind-reading? Evidently both the OP and his daughter have higher standards.I also had the TG2 and found it lacking in many areas, including very poor IQ both in and out of water, erratic AF, and poor LCD visibility (or lack thereof). My Canon D10 had much better IQ, and for me the screen was easier to see in comparable conditions. The TG2 went back.

rboyd !!! I had the exact same experience than you ! I had this camera for about one week. I bought it because i wanted to take pictures during my vacation in South Carolina so obviously lots of beach pictures. I was able to take approximatively 20 pictures. Never dropped the thing, always had the locks on when i took pictures in water (took 1 ou 2). The day after, the back buttons stopped working. I was able to shoot pictures but no menu, no zoom, none of the back buttons were working. And then things started to get extremely strange, i took off the sd card and took some pictures on the internal memory until i got the message that the internal was full. THEN the back buttons started working again !!! Erased all the pictures from internal memory, back buttons stopped working again. Took pictures until the memory was full again and back buttons started working again. I had fun doing this 3 ou 4 times until i got this camera back to the store and bought a Fuji x20...

Having the same issues with this damn thing now. Just bought it while on vacation in Bermuda when our old (and very reliable) Canon D10 was washed away. Grrrrr. Now I have one missing camera eaten by the sea and one that is going haywire less than 24 hours after being out of the box. I tried filling the internal memory, but with no luck. Any other suggestions from anyone would be wonderful. Trying to get one more day of pics out of this thing before sending it back to Olympus. Maddening.

Does anyone see Barometer and Altitude readings being displayed? When I was in outside, the GPS data was being displayed within a minute, but no Barometer and Altitude readings even after couple of hours.

I will amend my last post below to include this important information. My camera has since returned and was done fast and efficiently. The whole process took about three weeks and all the repairs were covered by the standard manufacture warranty and I only paid the cost of shipping to the Olympus repair facility. Nothing was argued and nothing was blamed on me. I do wonder though now if was not the fault of the Olympus Silicone case i was using that increased my chances of having water damage done to the camera... Overall I was very upset that this camera broke. But the camera was covered and it was fixed. The main board and back rubber middle was replaced. Because water came in from the back of the camera and not one of the doors I figure that the new TG-2 has been beefed up to prevent this as the two cameras look the same but are very different. This is my only Olympus product but I would buy more of there products in the future. THANK YOU OLYMPUS! I really like the picture quality.

I'm really disappointed in my TG-1. I just mailed it out to El Paso, TX this afternoon for warranty repair. I'm completely bummed... Summer is short in Minnesota and will not have my camera for use for my summer fun activities I purchased it for. I have only used it a few times and was on vacation with my family in San Diego when the back buttons stopped working. I have sent a letter via certified mail to explain my frustrations with Olympus and this model... I'm not the first customer to take their camera to the beach and then realize that the back buttons no longer work. No menus... no videos... nothing. I think this is a great camera, just don't get it wet, and make sure you have a backup camera for when this one falls apart or stops working.

I just repaired my little brothers' Stylus "Tough" 3000. Rear button design/construction was terribly flimsy. The zoom buttons were the worst, and that's what broke. They were held in place by an S-shaped plastic spring a fraction of a millimeter thick. This spring was both a locator and a return spring.

In other words, pictures something that has to swing back and forth like a car suspension. Now picture it supported by one spring and that's all. And it's positioned so that the spring twists back and forth with every press of the button. Fatigue design right in, so it fails like a paper clip bent too many times.

Now, I realize this this is a cheaper model, but still...it could be designed to be more durable with the amount and type of materials. See: goo [dot] gl/5Tefe

A scratched monitor does not make any camera unusable, by far. It's only for cadring, anyway. A scratch or three does not affect anything important (except maybe reselling as used). And if the camera was used as intended in outdoors circumstances, it will gather scratches, no way around it.

somehow I always felt that Olympus PnS shots are very good in color/contrast/sharpness. I never owned one but compared them with my Nikons and Canons. Always up a notch. Apart from extremely low light photo samples, the daylight shots are great. Hikers will enjoy this cam IMHO...

The camera exists to survive falls, or go under water, and continue to work. It also tells you where, how deep, or high you were. It also starts up fast and has rapid AF. Yet you would measure it as a studio DSLR?

100 shots at f5.4 fps, wow. But I did not get about 15 fps and 60 fps: "If you don't mind lowering the resolution to 3 megapixels, you can shoot at 15 or 60 frames/second, which produces high-speed and slow-motion videos (respectively) when played back at normal speed."

Does it produce VIDEO of those fps (and then is it 3 MP video, meaning higher resolution than FullHD), or does it produce series of shots that you can CONVERT to video (and then what software do you use to convert, is it included or is it in camera)?

And at 15 and 60 fps - what shutter speed does it use - depending on that you can either freeze motion or get smooth video.

I bought this camera before a snorkeling trip to the Caribbean, thinking that, with the bright lens, it would deliver sharp images. I was wrong, and fortunately, I realized that before I went and returned it, for the Canon G15, which is not an underwater camera and more expensive, for sure, but which produced incredible images throughout our trip, almost on a par with my DSLR. Glad I made the change. Having said this, for years I had the Olympus 850 SW, which was an underwater camera. While I never had the opportunity to use it underwater, it did turn out very sharp images, Unfortunately, it was dropped and the LCD screen broke, necessitating the search for a new camera (for my wife). Needless to say, I was shocked at how soft the images from the TG-2 were.

For most people not used to underwater photography, almost every camera might appear as producing soft(er) images. But many times it comes from the ambiental reasons, and not from the camera deficiences. Water is very different photographing medium from the air. It changes the light very much depending on the surface state, refraction level, suspended matter (visible by eye or not), even temperature and density differences - such as freshwater spring in saltwater, etc. It requires a bit getting used to.Otherwise, many people in water tend to take photos rather optimistically as regards shooting distance (especially with flash).Excepting w/a photos, rarely will one be able to shoot objects further than 2 meters away. Also, that's why u/w macros usually come out the best.There are strong differences in u/w vs. dry land photography, it should be studied prior to shooting photos, so it pays to look it up on the net. This will add reality to expectations, and quality to pictures.

You compare underwater shots against landlubber shots with other cameras. Not very fair or meaningful. Even Caribbean waters have silt or algae, and light is good only at mid-day. The waters absorbe red wavelengths quickly and muddle images at distances over 10' or so.

For what it's worth, UW WB on any underwater camera is not very important. We use daylight to see an underwater scenery, and so does the camera. Thus, what we see is what the camera sees, and vice versa.The (sun)light filtering through the water layer varies with water depth, but also water chemistry, surface state (e.g., calm, wavy, insolation angle / time of the day) and other things, such as quantity and sort of suspended matter in the water. There are factors like added diving depth to the object distance, etc.We do not know for which kind of water the pre-programmed UW WB was intended. There is a difference between sea(s) waters and also lake(s), rivers and creeks which is quite wide in variety. Thus, there is no such thing as an universal "WB for water".On the other hand, whether one may or may not like the bluish or greenish hues which will appear on the photos, is a matter of taste. But it is usually easier to post-process the Daylight WB-shot pics than UW WB-shot images.

If the screen can't be seen underwater or out in the sun and surf or the beach it is useless for the environment most of us want it for. If you are out in the surf it is very frustrating to see a reflection of yourself in the screen. I tried several. The Fuji had a great screen but the IQ was terrible. Frankly, I was quite irritated because reviewers never mentioned the one thing that made them useless. Also irritated because this one looks like a cool camera rendered useless because the designers never got it out of the lab or they would never have let it happen.

You might like to add some sort of soft material shade around the upper and side rims of the monitor, such as thin Neoprene supported with wire. It can be fastened to the tripod connecting point. It will not help much with sheer image quality, but it might help you to see what you frame (which is the main purpose of the camera monitor anyway).DIY has always been an important source of photography aids. There is no use waiting until the manufacturers think of something, as they, more often than not, appear to "listen to some other voices". :)

Maybe a COMPARISON of water-resistant cameras might have put the optical observations into perspective. I understand that underwater you loose light very rapidly, hence the need for noise reduction. - But what took you so long to do the review? The camera has been on the shelves for months!

If "slightly soft and mushy" qualifies for an award, it might make sense to put it in context. "Ok, it's not great, but it's a little better than camera A and a little worse than camera B". Just seems odd that something like image quality does not have to be outstanding to get an award.

It is hard to have anything outstanding in this class. But don't forget, when D20 etc will have unusable ISO 3200, this one will have quite useable ISO 800. None of them is made for pixel peepers, and even 12 MP is excessive for the sensor like this and HD screens.

Comparing underwater cameras in quality with dry-land cameras will always be confusing, as the ambients differ too much. It is especially true if you review amphibious cameras. These are supposed to operate in both media, and it has its limitations. True underwater optics must be corrected for water. These corrections (like dome ports or other non-flat solutions) will then not work outside. And if you have zoom lenses which range from wide-angle to short tele, there is no solution other than using flat port, which is not equally good at all focal lengths.That's why Nikonos (mark II through V) had a choice of five lenses. Beside its dry-land-only 28mm, there were additional 28mm and 15mm for exclusive underwater use. The (prime) 35mm and also 80mm lens had flat ports, and were usable on both sides of the surface. The UW 28mm had a concave front element, and 15mm UW had a dome.There is a way to make high quality UW cameras... but it seems the will to do so sadly lacks...

I bought this camera a few months ago when it came available. I generally like it a lot for the "beach camera" purpose. The only dislikes are the GPS that sucks battery big time. It is empty in one day even when the camera is off, as it keeps on tracking when you shut it down to get a faster fix when you put it on again. The other dislike is the red ring around the lense. It keeps on dropping off the camera. I have already lost one of them (it can with two).

1. Why is it that every one the manufacturers of these rugged cameras assume that the people who need them aren't interested in higher IQ? Outdoor photographers (hikers, climbers, cavers, kayakers, cyclists, yachties, etc) really value their forays into wild places and the images they bring back. Would somebody kindly offer a more serious camera with a larger sensor. I fully expect it to cost more and weigh more and I would be prepared to pay for the improvement.

2. Why do they all ignore two hundred years of engineering knowledge about seals? The internet is full of leak experiences and failures to honor guarantees. They could use a 1" O-ring on the base of a decent grip and it would be big enough to take an SD card and an appropriately shaped battery. And it would allow them to offer better specs. Just do it.

Whoever has an interest in how the proper underwater / all weather camera should be built and protected, should look up and study the Nikonos III model. The ergonomics of the camera were perfect, the sealing and locking system allowed for interchangeable lenses, and the camera was able to stand double the rated pressure depth easily.The swimming and walking body positions require different layout of the camera control elements - and Nik III had it solved.Also, never mind that it was not "shirt-pocketable" - it fitted the wind jacket pocket easily.Long time ago I thought that model III or V would be replicated in digital version as a matter of pure logic, but to this day nobody attempted that (or maybe someone blocked the idea?).In the meantime, the current line of amphibious cameras is far inferior in every sense, with "betterings" every two years or so... while the same market, once so happy with Nikonos, is still out there, waiting...Is there such a thing as "design crime"?

To Marty4650......I know full well that these compacts don't attempt to emulate a D4 in a housing (that probably cost as much as the D4). Your response suggests that there is no possibility of an engineering option in-between, which is completely false. Oldarrow has mentioned the Nikonos. Yes a modern day equivalent would probably be $2K, but it would be a whole lot better than these compacts and, to many users, a whole lot better than a black mastodon in an UW housing. Try kayaking with one of those stuffed into your life jacket. Fujifilm also developed a series of inexpensive water resistant heavy duty cameras in the film era that used proper O-rings for the battery compartments. It can be done.

I agree if Olympus claims it to be designed with the serious photographer in mind they should review it that way and to be honest it would be DEMOLISHED in the review then because of how stupid Olympus were to say that.

A serious photographer uses the camera that's appropriate for the assignment. If the conditions force the use of a rugged camera, the photographer will work with what he has.A waterproof camera cannot have an extending lens, which is probably the biggest limitation in its optical design.

So why have an extending lens at all? How useful is telephoto under water, especially as the lenses get gosh awful slow when extended.

I've had tons of fun with a simple disposable fixed focal length waterproof film camera. Why not a decent fixed focal length UW camera? I'd think such a camera would be popular with the camera crowd. Put a M43 sensor with a fixed 35mm equivalent lens in reasonably sized body and you'd have a nice little snorkeling gem.

Or you could put a telephoto lens in a fixed body. Casio did it with the 5X EX-P505 and I loved that little camera. Enclosing the telphoto lens makes it a favorite to hand over to the kids.

I think what BorisK1 meant would be a lens that extends (changes its volume) underwater. Any variable-volume casing which contains gas is very complicated to build, although it is technically possible. A variable-volume casing would work well in a liquid-filled system, or if the camera is connected to its own dynamic pressure-compensation gas source.You could actually have much better results with interchangeable lenses, each covering a limited range which would not be affected by the port form. Thus, there could be, say, 15-28mm zooms behind a dome port, and 35-100mm zoom with flat-glass port, each in their fixed-volume housing. The latter could be used on dry land as well.If someone would decide to replicate a Nikonos system, I expect they'd offer some new zoom lenses too. Meantime, the existing fixed-focus Nikonos range would still be as good as always.

The Olympus seems to better that other waterproofed cameras, but one thing is not clear to me...

The image quality is what you'd expect from a $150 camera. People say "it's allright, it's waterproofed..." and I agree with that, but... take a little more expensive camera, add $100 worth of waterproofing, maybe $150 --- can't be more than that, and you will end up with a much better camera... Some people would pay for it... I mean, what is the market for this camera? If you can afford a trip to Hawaii for snorkeling, I am sure paying a little more for a camera is not that much of a concern.

For the camera with so impressive set of features you'd expect someone at Olympus would finally decide to implement a proper water-sealing system at the hatches. These gaskets are simply too sensitive and unreliable. As always, it leaves an impression of purposefully created weak spot, which will never be covered by warranty.Also, Olympus (and others) could significantly reduce the possibility of water ingress by creating one single access hatch sealed by o-ring, instead of two, sealed with their funny gummy-things.Third, it is never wise to charge the battery within the sealed casing. Aside of augmenting the explosion force, it heats up the case interior. This may later cause port / monitor fogging.As to the fogging you mention, the humidity possibly remained from the camera assembly line - no need for additional water leak to create it.One of the best ways to remove fogging would be to replace the inner air volume with nitrogen. It is not difficult, as any tyre service has it...

I'm suggesting a possible solution against internal fogging, and not after every opening. For a while, it will remain in there.It would be quite simple for manufacturers to partition the user-accessible space in a way that will keep the dry gas (nitrogen) in the rest of the camera volume unaffected by opening of contact / battery / memory card ports. If you think of this access as a box with gilded contacts on the service side and several wires on the other, it is not difficult to seal (thermal glue would suffice).It does not cost worth a mention, and if the camera was then assembled in (or purged with) nitrogen, it would solve a source or two of frustration. Even if a drop or two of water would enter the user-accessible space, that barrier would keep it from going deeper.From experience: whenever any wet camera is opened, care should be taken that the port is facing downwards, and the cover is opened slowly. That takes care of the drops that might have remained around the seal.

Sure, but with the current state of battery technology, it is still safer to charge batteries outside of the sealed casing. If there's an explosion, the casing could make it really dangerous. It is possible to make a permanently sealed camera with sufficiently large internal memory and wireless data transfer, and maybe organize an outside, (replaceable) batery module screwed into properly sealed contact point.There are many easy ways to make today's UW cameras better, more depth-resistant, with better range od accessories (as if there's any), but the manufacturers have chosen to do it all "next time". We are being fed the already existing technology by eyedropper. There are no technical problems in replicating Nikonos in its digital version, articulated monitor and external flash / lighting included, but they will continue to sell us anything as long as there are sufficient buyers of anything.Next year cameras will go sensational 3" deeper and play MP3 sounds.That's business. :(

The Lake Wobegon effect, a natural human tendency to overestimate one's capabilities. Lake Wobegon is some kinda fictional invented town in Minesota. You need to see the live show A Prairie Home Companion that you could see in Fitzgerald Theater in St Paul, Min, to understand this. MichaelKJ has stated something he knows and others ignore, what I would classify as a bad idea in this context.

One can never rate any stuff in a correct way for just anyone. We all have different points of view, I like testers writing they think or estimate this or that, what reflects their point of view. But, we all are the creators we read about in the Bible, we create the world to our own image by comparing all we see with our personality, and this ego is composed of all we find in life, the evidence we encounter, on the other side all the crap that is washed in our brain by others, people, News, TV, Obama, Ron Paul, the Pope, the Imam, our doctor, and what ever we find as brainlaundromats on earth.

It is this diversity of opinions and points of view that makes the world go forward, or retract, by destruction and reconstruction. Creativity is always a question of virginity. You can't create anything on a place where something is, the old has to go first and you create a state of nothingness, a virgin space, be this by demolition or simple barbarian destruction, like wars. Out of that virgin space emerges a new virgin birth. Now, all in life goes that way, and once created, we can modify and improve the created object or being, until it becomes valueless and then it collapses. To replace it, we need to destroy and create something new, but here again, someone creates it to his image and points of view. Market tries here to see what can fit most of us, but never all of us, even if i found that marketing is a place where many famous donkeys, that walk beside of their shoes, move around. But, one needs a lot of things to create a world anyway.

marike6, both cameras had fatal flaws (compared to its peers) which totally overcame their good features you mention. For example, k-01 practically cannot autofocus, LiveView AF of DSLR lenses is unusable, and is too big and heavy compared to its viewfinderless peers (and its IQ is no better then every NEX with the same sensor, BTW). Conversely, V1 is too far behind its peers in image quality, does not take normal flashes, does not have good user interface. These are not marginal features nobody cares about, these are core.

To HowaboutRaw, I did shoot mostly RAW with the G15, but my wife shot primarily JPEG. Both were excellent. As for my comments regarding the TG-2, I did not have an opportunity to shoot underwater, so I have to recuse myself from commenting on its underwater capabilities, which, I admit, is one of the main draws for this camera. Having said that, I was not looking for a camera that could just perform well underwater. Indeed, I would be using it more on land. Possibly, it was my comparison with DSLR images and those from the four Olympus cameras that I have owned, one of which, as I stated, WAS an underwater camera (the 850 SW) that heavily influenced my opinion. Anyone who does not have that reference point may find this camera to their liking. Just my experience.

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Over the past few weeks we've been reviewing this year's collection of weatherproof tough cameras, and in this article we're rounding them up, comparing their relative strengths and weaknesses and taking a more detailed look at how their image quality and feature sets stack up. Even if you've read the full reviews, we recommend clicking through and reading our final, definitive roundup of this year's class of waterproof rugged compacts. Click through for a link.

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We've just posted the second in our series of rugged/underwater camera reviews. This time around, we're taking a look at the Olympus Tough TG-2 iHS, whose main claim to fame is its 25-100mm lens, which has a maximum aperture of F2 at wide-angle. The TG-2 also boasts a fully-featured GPS, limited manual controls, wireless flash control, and a unique 'tap control' feature. For all the details - and our conclusions - follow the link.

CES 2013: Olympus has announced the Stylus Tough TG-2 iHS, the latest flagship of its Tough series of waterproof compact cameras. This update to the TG-1 model is now waterproof down to 15m (50 feet), has a 12MP CMOS sensor and a 4x optical zoom lens with a maximum aperture starting at F2.0. Further rounding out the specifications are a 3.0" OLED rear display, built-in GPS and elevation recording and 1920 x 1080 video output. The TG-2 iHS will be available in March in both red and black versions for US $379.99.

CES 2013: Olympus has announced the TG-830 iHS and TG-630 iHS, two new additions to the company's TOUGH series of travel-friendly waterproof compact cameras. The mid-range TG-830 iHS is waterproof to 10m (33 feet) and has a 5x optical zoom lens to go along with its 16MP back-side illuminated CMOS sensor. Video can be recorded in 1920 x 1080 resolution, with the option to capture high speed clips at 120 fps in 720 resolution mode, for slow motion playback. The entry-level TG-630 iHS is waterproof down to 5m (16 feet). Both models will be available in March in a range of colors.

Latest in-depth reviews

Panasonic's premium compact DC-ZS200 (TZ200 outside of North America) boasts a 24-360mm equiv. F3.3-6.4 zoom lens, making it the longest reaching 1"-type pocket camera on the market. There are tradeoffs that come with that big lens, however. Find out all the details in our in-depth review.

The Hex Raven DSLR bag holds a ton of gear and employs a low-profile design that doesn't scream "I'm a camera bag." We think it's a little too bulky for everyday use, but makes for a great option when traveling with a lot of gear.

The Sony a7 III sets a new benchmark for full-frame cameras thanks to its compelling combination of value and capability. It's at home shooting everything from sports to portraits, and is one of the most impressive all-around cameras we've seen in a long while. Find out all the details in our full review.

Latest buying guides

What's the best camera for a parent? The best cameras for shooting kids and family must have fast autofocus, good low-light image quality and great video. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for parents, and recommended the best.

What's the best camera for shooting landscapes? High resolution, weather-sealed bodies and wide dynamic range are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting landscapes, and recommended the best.

What’s the best camera costing over $2000? The best high-end camera costing more than $2000 should have plenty of resolution, exceptional build quality, good 4K video capture and top-notch autofocus for advanced and professional users. In this buying guide we’ve rounded up all the current interchangeable lens cameras costing over $2000 and recommended the best.

What's the best camera for taking pictures of people and events? Reliable autofocus, good image quality in low light, and great colors straight from the camera are all important. In this buying guide we've rounded-up several great cameras for shooting people and events, and recommended the best.

The new HP DesignJet Z6 and Z9+ supposedly offer "the fastest printing capabilities available on the market today," all while using fewer ink tanks, and featuring useful add-ons like a built-in vertical trimmer.

In an effort to streamline production and minimize confusion, RED has announced that it is simplifying its product lineup to three main cameras. As an added bonus, this change dramatically drops the prices for all three options.

Fujifilm's new X-T100 is an SLR-style mirrorless camera that takes the internals of the X-A5, including phase-detect AF, and adds a fully articulating LCD and high-res OLED viewfinder. The X-T100 is priced at a very reasonable $599/€599 body-only and $699/€699/£619 with a 15-45mm lens.

Panasonic's latest firmware update for its GH5S, GH5 and G9 series of cameras was leaked in Japan earlier today and is now being officially announced a week early. But don't get too excited – you still won't be able to download it until May 30th.

We've been saying for years that the term "lens compression" is misleading, but Lee Morris over at Fstoppers has put together a useful video that explains why this is the case, and demonstrates it with two easy-to-understand examples.

Last week, some 'leaked' photos were published online that purported to show a DJI Phantom 5 drone with interchangeable lens camera and several prime lenses. The rumor was widely reported, but DPReview has learned that those images do not, in fact, show a Phantom 5 at all.

Award-winning fashion and celebrity photographer Markus Klinko recently tested out the Godox EC-200 flash extension head. Actually, he tested out four of them, creating a quad-flash ring light alternative that works great for both beauty and close-up work.

According to a recent investor presentation, Sony intends to occupy the top slot in the overall camera market by the end of 2020, beating back Canon and Nikon by boosting its interchangeable lens systems.

Google has finally added the ability to mark your favorite images in Google Photos, so they can be filtered into a dedicated album. The service is also planning to a social network-like "heart" button that lets you like other people's photos.

We've been messing around with Apollo, an iOS app that allows you to add 3D lighting effects to images using depth information, and have to say we're impressed with what it's capable of – but that doesn't mean we don't have a few requests for the next version.

The new lightweight laptop packs a whole lot of photo- and video-editing punch. The laptop can be specced out with a Core i9 processor, 16GB of RAM, 1TB of SSD storage, NVIDIA graphics with 4GB of GDDR5, and a 4K display with 100% Adobe RGB coverage.

It looks like Canon is getting into sensor sales. The three specialized CMOS sensors the company recently demoed—including a 120MP APS-H model and an ultra-low light sensor—have been listed for sale through a distributor in the US.

Kodak Alaris has launched a new single-use disposable camera in Europe. Called the Kodak Daylight Single Use Camera, this 800 ISO film camera is supposedly ideal for parties, weddings, and similar events.

Computer vision company Lucid and cinema camera maker RED have partnered to create an 8K 3D camera that can capture 4-view (4V) holographic images and video in real-time. The camera is designed to work with RED's upcoming holographic Hydrogen One smartphone.

If Canon and Nikon do get into high-end mirrorless, it's almost certain that they'll do everything they can to maintain compatibility with their existing mounts. But, asks Richard Butler, wouldn't it be more interesting if they built a small, niche system to live alongside their existing DSLRs?

You know that feeling when you're already all suited up and out on a spacewalk outside the International Space Station, and only then do you realize you forgot to put the SD card in your GoPro? No? Us either... but one astronaut on the ISS sure does.

From 2015 to 2017, filmmaker Macgregor and his crew spend many months traveling back and forth on the famed Mauritanian Railway—the so-called 'Backbone of the Sahara—to document the grueling journey endured by merchants who regularly travel atop this train. This beautifully-executed short doc is the result.

Synology has added a new 6-bay NAS to its DiskStation+ series, and it's aimed squarely at photographers and medium sized businesses. The DS1618+ can handle up to six 12TB drives, giving it a max capacity of 72TB, or up to 60TB in RAID 5.

Our original gallery for Tamron's new 70-210mm F4 had portraits, slow-moving wildlife and city scenes, but was sorely missing fast action. We remedied that by photographing some motorcycles flying through the air.

This week on DPReview TV, Chris and Jordan prepare for the summer holiday season by putting several popular waterproof cameras to the test. If you're considering a rugged camera for the beach or pool this summer, or if you just want to see what a Chris and Jordan fishing show might look like, tune in.

Soulumination is a non-profit organization that provides life-affirming legacy photography to families facing serious medical conditions, completely free of charge. This video shares the work they are doing.

Fujifilm EU seems to have accidentally leaked an unreleased camera to the masses. The leaked page details a new "X-T100" camera that will share most of its specs with the X-A5, but includes an EVF, deeper buffer, and 3-way tilting touchscreen.

LA-based director and cinematographer Phil Holland of PHFX recently joined forces with Gotham Film Works to create something out-of-this-world. Using a special aerial camera array, Holland shot a flyover of New York City using not one, not two, but three 8K RED Weapon Monstro VistaVision cameras.